Independents

How Good Will Washington Be?

<p>If you've paid attention to Nebraska's nonconference scheduling over the years you've noticed that the slate includes a few near-certain victories with at least one credible if not nationally prominent opponent. Over the next two seasons, Nebraska's biggest name opponent will be the Washington Huskies. In the first of each of the last home and home series between the Huskers and Huskies, the winner went on to capture a national championship. If for no other reason, that will make this a highly anticipated game by NU fans. But when you see that the Huskies haven't been to a bowl game since 2002 and has put together six straight losing seasons, you wonder if this contest will live up to the ones against the likes of Virginia Tech. </p> <p>UW quarterback Jake Locker made headlines when he announced he'd return to Washington for his senior season. He was thought to be a top NFL draft prospect. Locker's numbers are solid but not as spectacular as you might imagine. He passed for 2800 yards in 12 starts, completing 58% of his passes and averaging 7.1 yards per attempt. He threw 21 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. As a runner, he managed 388 yards on 112 carries with 7 rushing touchdowns. Take out his negative yards (which include sacks), and he produced 577 yards rushing. That certainly fits the profile of a quarterback that gives Pelini defenses trouble. Then again, those numbers don't quite measure up to a Colt McCoy either.</p>
<p>When you scan the roster, you see that most of the U-Dub team will be back. But is it truly a blessing to bring everyone back from a losing team? In this case it could be. The Huskies won just five games in 2009, but four of those five wins came against bowl teams. The Huskies were also 5-2 at home (versus 0-5 on the road). The two losses came against Oregon and LSU, two very good teams. So beating a team like this in their home stadium might not be as easy as you might think. Then again, Nebraska hasn't lost to a team that finished with less than six wins since Bill Callahan's first year as head coach. So if Washington does beat Nebraska, it will likely be because they've improved a lot over what they've been for the last seven years. </p>
<p>Can Washington make the jump to bowl eligibility? Absolutely. Will that make them the favorite at home against Nebraska? Questionable.</p><div class="feedflare">
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If you've paid attention to Nebraska's nonconference scheduling over the years you've noticed that the slate includes a few near-certain victories with at least one credible if not nationally prominent opponent. Over the next two seasons, Nebraska's biggest name opponent will be the Washington Huskies. In the first of each of the last home and home series between the Huskers and Huskies, the winner went on to capture a national championship. If for no other reason, that will make this a highly anticipated game by NU fans. But when you see that the Huskies haven't been to a bowl game since 2002 and has put together six straight losing seasons, you wonder if this contest will live up to the ones against the likes of Virginia Tech.

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